Why the Hobby Lobby decision is bad for everyone

July 10, 2014

Last week, five members of the Supreme Court (none of them women) decided the religious beliefs of certain corporations outweigh a woman’s right to birth control coverage. Which (as I wrote for the Skoll World Forum) is bad for the thousands of women who work for companies whose owners want to impose their religion on their employees reproductive decisions.

But it’s also bad for all of us lucky enough to work for companies who think our bodies are none of their business, and for women, men and families around the globe. Because a woman’s right to choose the timing and spacing of her children is tied to sustainable communities in more ways than you can imagine.

That’s why we created WomenAtTheCenter.org, a website dedicated to illuminating the links between access to family planning and sustainable development goals like enhanced human rights, reduced poverty, improved health and food security, reduced pressure on natural resources, even a slowing of climate change. On the site, you can explore the connections with specific issues from farming to forests; read essays by environmental and reproductive health experts; and learn more about how different communities are talking about family planning.

Check out the new site, and follow @womenatcenter on Twitter to get more news and updates on these topics. And if you’ve got a story we should add, please let us know!